Butler takes control to down ’Hounds in opener

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

EL DORADO — Fort Scott Community College’s football team was able to keep up with host Butler for most of the first half here Saturday night. But the Grizzlies took control in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points to take a 42-14 victory in the season and Jayhawk Conference opener for both teams.

It was the first game as head coach for Kale Pick, who was appointed to the FSCC head coaching job in November.

Fort Scott quarterback Dalton Sneed, a transfer from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, was 21 of 42 passing for 186 yards and a touchdown and ran for one other score. But he was also intercepted three times, two of which were returned for Butler scores.

The first Butler score came on an 80-yard interception return by linebacker Will Honas, putting the Grizzlies ahead 7-0.

The Greyhounds answered right back. Elmore Hempstead returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Butler 49-yard line. Three plays later, Sneed found Edward Aldred on a 44-yard pass play to tie the score with 2:13 left in the opening quarter.

Colorado transfer quarterback Chris Helbig found C.J. Sims on a 12-yard scoring pass with just under seven minutes remaining in the second quarter to put the Grizzlies ahead again. On the ensuing possession, Snead scored on a 3-yard run to tie the game at 14-14 with 5:16 on the clock. Snead’s score was set up by a 57-yard run from Damon Bonds three plays earlier.

Butler’s backup quarterback, Brady Rust, scored on a 35-yard keeper with 2:47 left in the half. The Grizzlies never trailed again.

Fort Scott High graduate Brody Southwell punned Butler inside its own 10-yard line three times in the second half. The first was downed at the 9-yard line, the second at the one and the third at the 9 again. But Fort Scott’s offense was unable to take advantage of the field position it got after stopping the Grizzlies on those drives. In addition, Snead was intercepted once but Butler had to take over at its own 8.

The Grizzlies drove 91 yards after being pinned at the 9 the second time and scored on a 1-yard sneak by Helbig with 7:31 on the clock, making it 28-14.

Vinnie Shabazz scored on an 8-yard run for Butler with 3:46 to go to make it 35-14. Charlie Benton returned an interception 26 yards for the final score of the game.

Butler finished with 430 yards of total offense as Helbig went 16 of 26 for 188 yards. Starting tailback Kevon Abrams rushed for 92 yards on 21 carries.

Fort Scott had 298 yards of total offense but only about 90 yards in the second half. Bonds ran for 91 yards on 13 carries. Kyle Harrison caught 7 passes for 63 yards while Aldred caught 6 for 69 yards.

Independence, ranked No. 17 in the NJCAA pre-season poll, comes to Frary Field for a conference encounter at 7 p.m. Saturday night. However, the Netflix Last Chance U. third-season subjects were blown out at home by No. 12 Iowa Western last Saturday by a score of 70-21.


FORT SCOTT........................ 7 7 0 0 — 14

BUTLER.................................. 7 14 0 21 — 42

Team statsFort ScottButler
First downs1525
Rushes-yards28-11249-228
Passing yards186202
Total offense298430
Passing (c-a-i)21-42-318-28-0
Sacked-yds. lost4-211-6
Punt rets.-yards1-202-7
Kickoff rets.-yards4-1362-45
Interception rets.-yds.0-03-106
Punts-avg.8-33.97-24.7
Fumbles-lost1-11-0
Penalties-yards13-1007-65

Scoring plays

First quarter

B — Honas 80 interception return (Winter kick), 3:04

FS — Aldred 45 pass from Sneed (Southwell kick), 2:13 [3, 49, :43]

Second quarter

B — Sims 12 pass from Helbig (Winter kick), 6:56 [7, 50, 3:15]

FS — Sneed 3 run (Southwell kick), 5:16 [6, 75, 1:33]

B — Rust 35 run (Winter kick), 2:47 [7, 75, 2:29)

Fourth quarter

B — Helbig 1 run (Winter kick), 7:31 [13, 91, 6:23]

B — Shabazz 8 run (Winter kick), 3:46 [5, 50, 2:30]

B — Benton 26 interception return (Winter kick), 3:19

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Fort Scott — Bonds 13-91, Sneed 14-18, Randle 1-3. Butler — Abrams 21-92, Truss 9-59, Rust 6-40, Shabazz 5-30, Helbig 6-13, Sims 1-0, team 1-minus 6.

PASSING: Fort Scott — Sneed 21-42-3-186. Butler — Helbig 16-26-0-188, Rust 2-2-0-14.

RECEIVING: Fort Scott — Harrison 7-63, Aldred 6-69, Jenkins 3-7, Gordon 2-15, Bonds 2-12, Crum 10-20. BUtler — Abrams 6-52, Sims 4-27, Prince 3-45, Wilkes 2-47, Mitchell 2-26, Sowa 1-5

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.